Contact: Peter Chadwick, ext 6728

1. Summary

1.1 The applicant has planning permission for operating a skip hire business at Home Farm, Ropley. A certificate of lawful use for waste transfer has been applied for on land adjoining the building used for the skip business and a planning application submitted for waste transfer within the building and on a further area. The recommendation is to grant planning permission, subject to conditions.

2. Site and proposals

2.1 The site, illustrated on the attached plan, comprises the barn, and bunded area behind the barn, at Home Farm, Ropley. The barn and forecourt have planning permission and is used for a skip hire business. The site totals about 0.1 hectare. The farm buildings adjacent to the site have been redeveloped for industrial/commercial use. The nearest house adjoins the site access road.

2.2 An application was made last year for a Certificate of Lawfulness for waste transfer and recycling at Home Farm, Ropley. The evidence submitted was not sufficient to demonstrate conclusively that all the land included in the application had been in this use for 10 years. Consequently the applicant has withdrawn that application and submitted an application for a Certificate of Lawfulness for a reduced area, together with a planning application for the use of the remainder of the site for waste transfer. The waste transfer is associated with the applicant's skip hire business (Barford Skips). In addition to waste transfer there would also be some sorting of waste to recover recyclable materials. The activity takes place in the barn and adjoining area, which is also partly used for garaging vehicles and machinery.

2.3 The operation is quite small scale, generating about 10 lorry loads in and 10 out per day. The applicant wishes to improve the facility and enable more sorting, but not to significantly increase the amount of waste which would be handled.

3. Development Plan

3.1 Hampshire County Structure Plan 1996-2011 (Review) (Adopted March 2000) Policy MW2 concerns proposals for waste development (see attached appendix).

3.2 Hampshire, Portsmouth and Southampton Minerals and Waste Local Plan (Adopted December 1998) Policy 46 concerns proposals for waste transfer and recycling (see attached appendix).

4. Consultations

4.1 East Hampshire District Council - comments awaited.

4.2 Ropley Parish Council raises no objections.

4.3 East Hampshire District Council's Environmental Health Officer raises no objection and recommends hours of working restricted to 0800 to 1800 Monday to Friday and 0800 to 1300 Saturday, no working on Sunday and public holidays.

4.4 The Environment Agency raises no objection subject to conditions to prevent pollution to the water environment.

4.5 The County Council (Highways) raises no objection.

5. Representations

5.1 The local Member, Councillor Sir James Scott, has been informed of the proposal.

5.2 Two letters have been received from local residents raising no objection, commenting that the past operations at the site have not given rise to complaint.

5.3 Two letters have been received objecting to the application on the grounds of the increased lorry traffic along Petersfield Road, and concern about noise, smell and litter.

6. Chief Planning Adviser's Comments

6.1 The applicant has run a skip business from the site for over 10 years. The proposal is to enable the site to be used for waste transfer and sorting of waste for recycling in association with the skip hire business. The site is within the former farm building complex, most of the buildings are now in light industrial uses.

6.2 In principle the site is appropriate for the proposed use, and facilities to enable the sorting of waste to enable recycling and reduce landfill are supported by policy. The skip business has operated, including an element of waste transfer, from the site without causing significant complaints about dust, noise, smell, litter or traffic generation. The lorry traffic associated with the operation would be similar to past levels, and would not be unacceptable.

6.3 The Environmental Health Officer's comments are noted about hours of working. However, the site has previously operated an earlier start time without complaint; in addition it is not proposed to work weekends.

6.4 In conclusion the proposals are in accordance with policy and would enable the continued development of a local skip business.

Recommendation

That planning permission for a waste transfer station at Home Farm, Petersfield Road, Ropley (Application No. F24003/022/CMA) be granted, subject to the following conditions:

Time Limits

(1) Unless otherwise agreed in writing by the Waste Planning Authority no lorries shall enter or leave the site, and no operations shall take place within the site except between the hours of 0630 and 1700 Monday to Friday and not at all at weekends and public holidays unless otherwise agreed in writing by the Waste Planning Authority.

Reason: In the interests of local amenity.

Waste Type

(2) The site shall only be used for the transfer of waste brought to the site in skips. No waste shall be delivered to the site in tipper lorries or refuse collection vehicles.

Reason: In the interests of local amenity.

Dust

(3) Within three months of the date of this consent a scheme for controlling noise and dust shall be submitted to the Waste Planning Authority and agreed in writing. The scheme shall be implemented as approved.

Reason: In the interests of local amenity.

Pollution Control

(4) No sewage or trade effluent (including vehicle wash or vehicle steam cleaning effluent), except site drainage, shall be discharged to any surface water drainage system.

Reason: To prevent pollution of the water environment.

(5) Prior to being discharged into any watercourse, surface water sewer or soakaway system, all surface water drainage from parking areas and hard standings shall be passed through an oil interceptor designed and constructed to have a capacity and details compatible with the site being drained. Roof water shall not pass through the interceptor.

Reason: To prevent pollution of the water environment.

(6) Soakaways shall not be located in areas identified as contaminated land. All surface water from roofs shall be piped to an approved surface water system using sealed downpipes. Open gullies should not be used.

Reason: To prevent pollution of the water environment.

(7) Any facilities for the storage of fuels and chemicals shall be sited on impervious bases and surrounded by impervious bund walls. The bund capacity shall give 110% of the total volume for single and hydraulically linked tanks. If there is multiple tankage, the bund capacity shall be 110% of the largest tank, or 25% of the total capacity of all tanks whichever is the greatest. All filling points, vents, gauges and sight glasses and overflow pipes shall be located within the bund. There shall be no outlet connecting the bund to any drain, sewer or watercourse or discharging onto the ground. Associated pipework shall be located above ground where possible and protected from ancillary damage.

Reason: To prevent pollution of the water environment.

(8) No waste or materials shall be burnt at the site.

Reason: In the interests of local amenity.

Layout

(9) Within three months of the date of this consent the details of the layout of the waste transfer station shall be submitted to the Waste Planning Authority for approval in writing. The layout shall include details of the waste tipping bays, waste storage bays, bin and skip storage, and vehicle parking. The site shall be operated in accordance with the approved layout, and no waste shall be tipped or stored outside identified areas.

Reason: To control the development in the interests of local amenity.

7965/PC

APPENDIX

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY STRUCTURE PLAN 1996-2011 (REVIEW) (ADOPTED MARCH 2000)

Policy MW2

Permission will be granted for minerals and waste development provided the mineral/waste planning authority is satisfied that:

(i) any adverse environmental or other impacts that the development would be likely to cause are outweighed by a clearly established need for the development; and

(ii) the proposals, where applicable, include a satisfactory scheme of working and landscaping including details of lorry routeing and, in all cases, include satisfactory measures to ensure that the development would not have any unacceptable environmental, traffic or other impact; and

(iii) the proposals, where applicable, provide for the satisfactory and prompt restoration and after-care of the site to a high standard and to a landform compatible with the local landscape and suitable for an agreed beneficial after-use.

HAMPSHIRE, PORTSMOUTH AND SOUTHAMPTON MINERALS AND WASTE LOCAL PLAN (ADOPTED 17 DECEMBER 1998)

Policy 46

The Waste Planning Authorities will normally permit the use of land and the erection of plant and buildings for the recycling, transfer, storage and other treatment or handling of waste (excluding waste processing facilities covered by Policy 45) provided that:

(i) the proposed site is located near to the likely source(s) of waste and/or the market(s) for the recycled or recovered materials; and

(ii) the proposed site is located close to and has adequate access to the Hampshire Lorry Route Network (as shown on the proposals map), so that the development would not be likely to cause unacceptable traffic impact (including the environmental impact of traffic) on the local highway network; and

(iii) the proposed site is located:

(a) within an existing industrial site or on land which is permitted or allocated for industrial development; or

(b) within an area of land in the countryside that has already been disturbed by permanent development (a brownfield site); or

(c) at a waste disposal landfill or landraising site provided that the proposed development is connected with the waste disposal operation and is for a temporary period commensurate with the operational life of the waste disposal facility; and

(iv) the proposed site is located and the proposal includes adequate measures to ensure that no unacceptable impact would be likely to be caused to the occupants or users of houses, other residential buildings, schools, hospitals and other environmentally sensitive buildings and land uses by reason of noise, dust, fumes, smell or other cause; and

(v) the proposed site is located so as to avoid unacceptable impact on landscape, nature conservation and archaeological interests; and

(vi) the proposed site is located and the proposal includes adequate measures to ensure that there would be no significant risk of pollution or danger to public health or safety; and

(vii) the proposed site is located and, if necessary, the proposal includes landscaping measures to ensure that the development would not cause unacceptable visual intrusion.